Sunday, April 18, 2010

Adam Wainwright’s complete game was huge for the Cardinals. It allows the bullpen to get an extra day of rest, and it keeps arms fresh for the next series.

After a 20 inning heartbreaking loss to the New York Mets on Saturday, Wainwright not only helped the Cardinals bounce back with a series win, but he gave them another long start. He has gone at least seven innings in all three starts, and he is 3-0 – only giving up four earned runs in 24 innings.

The New York Mets cannot say the same thing. They had to bring in Tobi Stoner from Triple-A to help the bullpen, which was exhausted in the marathon game. With John Maine only going five innings, Jerry Manuel had no other option. He had to use Stoner.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals didn’t have to worry. Wainwright was dominant with nine strikeouts, and the bullpen was able to be spectators.

The Mets need a long start in the next game. They cannot afford to go deep in their bullpen, which lacks depth. It was interesting to see how these two teams responded after the long game.